Social Policy Commons^™

Ddasaccident022, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred during the manual clearance phase. Victim No.1 was clearing a lane and pulled a trip wire with his detector head, so initiating an OZM-4. The detonation "blew off both upper and lower limbs" and he suffered fragment wounds to his head and chest, killing him instantly. Victim No.2 was hit in the shoulder by a fragment.

Ddasaccident004, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09.15 three deminers were injured when a mine detonated while being handled outside the mined area. Victim No.1 suffered severe hand and minor foot injuries. Victim No.2 suffered minor body and eye injures, and a hearing loss. Victim No.3 suffered a minor facial injury. The injured were taken by road (the report says that it would have taken too long to get official clearance for air evacuation) to Maputo Central hospital by 10:15. Victim No.1 was flown to Zimbabwe at an unspecified time for “follow-up treatment”.

Ddasaccident017, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At the time of the accident the victim had just changed roles with his partner so it is not sure which of them failed to locate the mine. He was about 15 metres from the pylon when at 11:57 there was a detonation. The victim's leg was torn off at "boot level". After the accident and a positive identification of the victim, the medic gave first aid. At 12:11 the victim was taken to Maputo Central Hospital, arriving at 13:30.

Ddasaccident018, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

It was while excavating with a "demining trowel" [see Analysis] at 08:30 that he detonated an anti-personnel mine, leaving him with "slight" injuries to his left hand and right thigh (it is presumed that the latter was caused by the handle of the "trowel"). The victim was blown onto his back and the trowel was found much further away. The victim was approximately 0.8m from the mine, and the crater was taken to indicate that it was buried to a depth of about 20cm.

Ddasaccident019, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred near a high voltage pylon to the south of Moamba town and approximately 22 km from the demining group’s camp. The pylon was mined during the armed conflict and a barbed wire fence was put up to prevent the entry of people and animals. Outside this fence were other mines of the PMN, PMN-2 and PMD-6 types.

Ddasaccident021, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim was working as a deminer in a lane where “mechanical demining” had taken place. He detonated a PMN-2 mine with his “demining tool”.

Mozambique Mine Awareness Education Module, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

Mine Awareness Education Module - Mozambique is based on information acquired through a variety of expert sources. The document incorporates information gathered through

• a review of ecological theories,
• an extensive review of existing humanitarian demining mine awareness and prevention programs,
• a review of effective strategies of community-change efforts,
• and interviews with persons conducting mine awareness programs in Mozambique and other sub-Sahara countries.

In addition, interviews and briefings were conducted with personnel from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, US. Army Special Operations Command, 4th Psychological Operations Group and Special Operations …

Mozambique: A Listing Of Organizations Conducting Humanitarian Demining/Mine Awareness Activities, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The following list describes organizations that have been active in conducting humanitarian demining activities in Mozambique. The list includes NGO’s, IO’s, commercial firms, governmental and military organizations. Printouts for some organizations with websites are included in Appendix A and are coded with an asterisk in the list.

Ddasaccident020, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

When the deminer came alongside the first mine, he located another, and called the victim again. The victim decided to prepare the mines for destruction, took the deminer's "spade" and sent him away. When the deminer reached the safe area the detonation occurred at 09:55.

Ddasaccident024, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the day of the accident the victim started work at 07:00 clearing "a line to the spot were they earlier had found the POMZ and started 10 metres from the spot". His lane was one metre wide and required the cutting of foliage with a machete before clearing. When he was about a metre from the spot a detonator (MUV-2) exploded (at 07:30). "He got small stones in the face and head which gave him small wounds".

Ddasaccident023, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The team began work at 05:45. One dog was found unfit for work and returned to kennels (a tick bite in the eye was the cause). The other dog passed the routine 10 minute pre-work test and started work at around 06:30. Work continued (with two rests) until 09:00 when the dog was given another routine test. The victim entered the cleared area to complete his survey report and at 09:05 and stepped on a mine. He was evacuated to hospital in Maputo and arrived at 10:24. His injuries were severe trauma to left leg resulting in below knee amputation …

Ddasaccident025, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

There was a safe lane at the bottom of the embankment and deminers were working uphill from it. The victim had been working for fifteen minutes when he decided to clear a wire that was in front of his cleared area. He checked with the Schiebel detector and picked up a reading that he thought was the wire, so ignored it. He entered the uncleared area, cut the wire, and slipped back down the embankment.

Ddasaccident026, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the day of the accident a truck initiated a mine with its right front wheel as it turned onto the verge to unload. The driver was sitting above the wheel that caused the detonation. He escaped from the cab before it caught fire. He was taken to hospital but later discharged in "good health". The blast wave threw the truck one-meter forward, destroyed the wheel and made the cab and front tyres catch fire. [Photographs indicate minimal blast damage to the cab above the wheel arch – implying deflagration rather than detonation of the device, or an incendiary/small blast …

Ddasaccident027, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

An investigation was made by the Deputy Director of the National MA authority and a UN QA officer. They found that the victim had stepped on a PMN on a disused track and suffered traumatic amputation to his left leg below the knee, injuries to his eyes and "small wounds" on his right leg.

Ddasaccident028, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred at 12:30 in a minefield laid by the Portuguese in the early 1970s. The mines were Italian AUPS mines, with and without fragmentation jackets. The demining group had been working in the area since 1996 and 234 AUPS mines had been destroyed. "The minefield crosses the road many times as it is linked as an obstacle with the river which is running along the valley. At the accident site, the minefield following the road alignment at a distance of about six metres on a rocky slope of approximately 35 degrees." Clearance of ten metres had occurred at …

Ddasaccident029, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The primary cause is listed as a "Management/control inadequacy" because it seems that the group's SOPs allowed the victim to be too close to detonations on too many occasions and so those responsible for devising the SOPs and training were at fault.

Ddasaccident030, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A director of the demining company was interviewed about this accident on 15th December 1998. From memory he reported that the victim had been clearing a mine-belt at a village. The victim was a deminer and had just investigated a detector reading and found a fragment when the accident occurred. Without rechecking the area with his detector, he advanced and stepped on a Gyata-64. His foot was blown off but he had no other significant injuries.

Ddasaccident325, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Despite the absence of a paramedic, [the Victim] who has the position of Team Leader in the organisation, decided to commence work the morning of 24th May 1996 on the security strip. At this stage the security strip had a large number of PMN-2 anti-personnel mines exposed by the machines and was very dangerous. He entered the security strip at approximately 12:00 and approximately 30 minutes later a muffled explosion was heard inside the strip.

Ddasaccident032, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Victim No.1 was working downhill without his detector and was two metres in front of the end of his end-of-lane marker when the accident occurred at 10:55. He pulled a tripwire and initiated an OZM-4 that was a metre away. He suffered traumatic amputation of his left food. Two other deminers were slightly injured with single fragments to the elbow and chin. The Platoon Commander ordered a helicopter from Maputo. The platoon paramedic gave first aid. amputation of his left foot.

Ddasaccident033, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The demining platoon had "cleared 5,1602 metres and eight mines at Homoine before the accident". The mines were laid in a narrow belt but not in a pattern. The mines found before were PMN, PMN-2, PMD6 and POMZ2M. The victim was in a crouching position with his arm outstretched (holding a trowel) when he initiated a PMN with his right foot. He was not using his detector (which was 12 metres away). He was taken to hospital at 09:35 and arrived at 10:05. A blood shortage meant that other deminers had to donate three litres of blood.

Ddasaccident034, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim lived 400 metres from the working area. While walking home from work he found an MVZ57 fuse [believed to be an MV-5 fuse]. He took it home for safekeeping. Before work the next morning he was examining it on a concrete table outside his home when he accidentally dropped it 20cm onto the table and it detonated. He contacted the platoon medic by radio and asked for assistance.

Ddasaccident031, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A director of the demining group was interviewed about this accident on 15th December 1998. From memory he reported that the victim was the Team Leader and had just made a radio report. He was returning to the working area and for some unexplained reason took a short-cut across a corner, stepping into an uncleared area. He trod on a Gyata-64 and lost his lower leg.

Ddasaccident035, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On October 10th at 05:30 the victim initiated the mine in his tent within the camping area, seriously injuring his right arm, left leg and "breast". Nobody else was injured. First aid was given by the medical co-ordinator and two paramedics.

Ddasaccident036, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09:25 the victim was clearing a lane using a combination of detector and excavation (with a "digging trowel"). While in a kneeling position he reached out to dig at the edge of the lane and initiated a PMN. He suffered traumatic amputation of his right arm "at the elbow" and lacerations to his face, right leg, and left arm. He walked to a safe lane where paramedics gave first aid. He was then driven to Sabie and taken by air to Maputo Central Hospital, leaving at 10:17 and arriving at 11:02.

Ddasaccident037, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators stated that at 09:50 on 10th July 1995 Victim No.2 initiated an OZM-3 that was behind a tree. He heard the "click" and threw himself to the ground suffering minor abrasions. "The mine may not have reached its intended height on detonation". Victim No.2 was not significantly injured despite being less than two metres from the blast. Victim No.1, another deminer working 31 metres from the accident, was struck by a single fragment in the neck causing fatal injuries.

Ddasaccident038, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Work began on 18th May 1995 and one side was cleared that day, with a POMZ-2 located and destroyed. On 19th May 1995 the section started clearing the other side. At about 10:00 a mine exploded in a cleared lane about two minutes after a deminer walked there. No injuries occurred. Work continued and a further three mines were found using detectors. On completion the victim went to destroy the mines.

Ddasaccident039, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09:15 Victim No.1 was injured by stepping on a mine "in a recently cleared area while engaged in clearance duties….". Victim No.2 was also injured. "Both men were wearing protective clothing – cotton overalls, leather boots and protective eye glasses" [sic]. The men were treated on site and evacuated at 11:24 by air to Maputo airport. (The requested plane landed in the wrong place and lost radio contact: a second plane had to be sent.)

Ddasaccident040, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the day of the accident the demining group's ex-pat country Manager went in to investigate the accident of the previous day (7th March 1995) and confirmed that the mine involved had been a PMN. He found parts of the device that he thought indicated that there had been two mines, but those parts were lost during subsequent events. When he went into the area a second time he spent ten minutes examining the area, then called out for people to gather together for a briefing. Immediately thereafter he was seriously injured by an explosion [no reason why he went …

Ddasaccident003, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At approximately 11:20 the victim discovered a mine. This was his third that day and the first day that he had found any at that site. Instead of informing his Section Leader as he was required to do, he investigated it on his own. "For some reason the mine (or perhaps mines) detonated leaving him very seriously injured". [See Medical report.]The victim was casevaced by helicopter to Quelimane hospital arriving one hour after the accident occurred. He died at 16:30 that day. The death certificate gave "haemorrhage" as the cause of death. The helicopter was deemed fortuitous, and some suggestions …

Ddasaccident041, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Deputy Country Director was interviewed by the researcher on 18th November 1998 and later send a one page summary of the accident and two others (dated 01/11/95). He said that the victim had initiated a PMN mine at approximately 12:45 whilst prodding with his three-pronged fork. At the time an internal investigation [not made available] concluded that he had not used his detector in that area prior to the accident, which was against instructions from his supervisors. “If he had been using the detector the accident would probably have been avoided.”